Let's be honest, most of us hated learning languages at school. The endless grammar drills, the cramming before tests, the rigid curriculum that ignored how we actually learn. It just didn't work. We'd spend years in classrooms conjugating verbs and memorising vocabulary lists, only to freeze up the moment we tried to order a coffee in another language.
Camila saw this firsthand and knew there had to be a better way. Growing up in Chile, she fell in love with languages by immersing herself in different cultures, actually living them, not just studying them. She didn't become fluent by sitting in a classroom; she became fluent by throwing herself into conversations, making mistakes, laughing at herself, and trying again. That's how real learning happens, and it's the philosophy behind BeLingual, the company she founded to revolutionise how we learn to communicate.
For Camila, language was never just about words on a page. It was about connection, about understanding people from different worlds, about opening doors she didn't even know existed. And she wanted to share that gift with others.
The Journey Begins
Coming from a hard-working Chilean family, Camila was meant to study in the UK and return home, but life had other plans. The original script was simple: get a degree, gain some international experience, then come back and build a career in Chile. But sometimes the universe has different ideas about where you're meant to be.
"Access to bilingual education was rare in Chile, and international experiences were a privilege for the few," she explains. "My family encouraged me to dream big, so I became the first in my family to attend university and study abroad." That's no small feat. Being the first to do something in your family comes with its own unique pressures: the weight of expectation, the fear of letting people down, the constant question of whether you're making the right choices.
What started as a degree turned into a calling. As an English teacher, Camila noticed a troubling pattern: people studied English for years but still lacked confidence to use it in real situations. They'd ace their exams, memorise all the rules, tick all the boxes, but put them in a conversation with a native speaker and they'd panic. "I saw a gap," she says. "What truly set me on this path was my love for language, communication and cultural adaptation. I wasn't just learning English, I was learning how to connect with the world. That ability opened doors that many of my peers never even knew existed. Language learning needed to be more accessible, efficient, and truly meaningful."
Enter BeLingual – founded by Camila to equip people with the tools to become valuable assets wherever they go. This isn't about passing tests or getting certificates to hang on your wall. This business has been created to solve a global issue: limited access to practical language and communication skills that actually work in the real world.
Camila has always been there for others. She loves helping people to learn and thrive in new places, knowing that the true secret to success is to immerse yourself completely in the culture, throwing yourself in the deep end instead of tip toeing in. It's terrifying at first, yes. You'll make mistakes. You'll say the wrong thing. You'll accidentally order the wrong food or mix up your words in a way that makes everyone laugh. But that's exactly how you learn.
She too believes that trying to learn a new language in a formal setting like at school or college just doesn't work any more. Not everyone has the patience or can really understand what is being taught in this way. Some people need to feel the language, to use it in context, to make it part of their daily lives rather than something they study for an hour a week in a sterile classroom.
What Makes BeLingual Different?
BeLingual doesn't prepare you for a test, it prepares you for life. For that job interview where you need to sound confident. For that business meeting where you need to negotiate. For that moment when you're travelling and need to ask for help. For those everyday conversations that make you feel less like a foreigner and more like someone who belongs.
The platform combines language learning with soft skills and cultural intelligence, creating confident communicators who can thrive anywhere. Because let's face it, knowing the grammar is one thing. Understanding when to be formal, how to read a room, what jokes will land and what will fall flat, that's something else entirely.
Here's what sets it apart: it's 66% more effective than traditional courses, with one dedicated teacher per student or group for consistency. No rotating cast of instructors who don't know your learning style or remember what you struggled with last week. The platform uses data-driven progress tracking and offers live, online programs accessible globally, which means whether you're in London or Lima, Lagos or Los Angeles, you can learn.
"We're not just teaching languages, we're transforming how people communicate," Camila says, and you can hear the passion in her voice. "Our approach goes beyond grammar and vocabulary. We equip learners to thrive in real-world, multicultural settings." Because at the end of the day, that's what matters. Not whether you can recite verb conjugations, but whether you can walk into a room full of strangers and feel confident enough to join the conversation.
Why the UK?
Though BeLingual started in Chile, it now serves students worldwide from its UK base. It's a long way from home, but sometimes you have to leave where you're from to build something that can help people everywhere.
"The UK is more than a location – it's a gateway to the world," Camila explains. "As a global hub for education and innovation, it's given us access to resources and networks that helped us scale faster than we imagined." It's the kind of place where you can grab coffee with someone working on AI in the morning and chat with an education policy expert in the afternoon. Where investors understand global markets and the talent pool is incredibly diverse.
The UK offers the perfect environment to connect across time zones, embrace cutting-edge EdTech, and support a diverse, multicultural population. And crucially, it's a place where people understand what BeLingual is trying to solve. Here, many are seeking to improve their communication and transferable skills – not just to find a job, but to build a meaningful, fulfilling career. They want to feel confident in meetings. They want to network without that nagging fear that their English isn't good enough. They want to belong. And that's where BeLingual comes in.
"Although we began by offering our services in Chile, today we serve students globally. The UK has given us access to resources, networks and opportunities that have helped us scale our vision faster than we could have imagined." It's funny how things work out. What started as a temporary study trip has become the launchpad for a global mission.
The Challenges
Success didn't come easily. Nothing worthwhile ever does, really. Securing her Startup Visa in 2020 was gruelling, and that's putting it mildly. "I had to prove my business wasn't just an idea, it was innovative, viable, and scalable," she recalls. There's proving something to yourself, and then there's proving it to a room full of people who will decide whether you get to stay in the country and pursue your dream. The stakes couldn't have been higher.
After her initial university endorsement, finding a new endorsing body meant pitching repeatedly and refining her business plan endlessly. Imagine taking something you're passionate about, something you believe in with every fibre of your being, and having to package it up into presentations and spreadsheets over and over again. Each time thinking, "Is this the one? Is this finally good enough?" The rejection emails. The waiting. The uncertainty.
"It was exhausting, but it forced me to sharpen my vision. The lesson? You don't have to do it alone. The right support system makes all the difference." She credits the University of Essex Startups team, mentors, and friends for helping her navigate the system. Sometimes all you need is someone who believes in you when you're struggling to believe in yourself. Someone who'll review your pitch deck at midnight or talk you through your doubts over coffee.
Like many founders, Camila struggled with work-life balance. When you're building something from scratch, it's so easy to let it consume everything. Your business becomes your life, and suddenly you realise you haven't taken a day off in three months. Her solution? Time blocking.
She schedules everything, including hobbies like painting, writing, and outdoor exercise, so she never feels guilty taking time for herself. "Learning to say no and set boundaries has been crucial," she says. It sounds simple, but it's revolutionary when you actually do it. Blocking out time for a walk isn't lazy, it's essential. Painting on a Sunday afternoon isn't indulgent, it's what keeps you sane and creative.
A Message for Future Innovators
The UK has exceeded Camila's expectations in ways she never imagined when she first arrived as a nervous student. "I've met incredible people who've championed my business in ways I never expected. The UK genuinely wants new ideas to succeed." There's something special about a place that sees potential and invests in it, that celebrates innovation rather than fearing it.
Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple but powerful, born from years of late nights, tough decisions, and hard-won victories. Your background is your superpower. Being from another country gives you a unique perspective, so use it to bring something new to the market. The things that made you feel different, the experiences that set you apart, the challenges you faced that others didn't, these aren't weaknesses. They're exactly what the world needs. Don't try to fit into someone else's mould. Bring your whole self, your entire story, your unique lens on the world.
And remember, it's possible. When you're in the thick of it, when you're exhausted and questioning everything, when the visa application is rejected or the investor says no or the launch doesn't go as planned, it can feel impossible. But it's not. It's hard, yes. It's really hard. But it's worth it. Every sleepless night, every moment of doubt, every challenge that felt insurmountable at the time, they're all worth it when you see your idea come to life and change people's lives.
You don't have to be "the best", you just have to be the one who doesn't quit. The world is full of talented people with brilliant ideas who gave up just before the breakthrough. Don't be one of them. Keep going. Keep learning. Keep adapting. And most importantly, keep believing that what you're building matters, because it does.
Connect with Camila from BeLingual: Instagram: @belingual / @la.profepreneur LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camila-valenzuela-arriagada-0473b9b7/
